Boats and Boatbuilding

Ship, vessel that is buoyant in the water and used to transport people or cargo from one place to another via rivers, lakes, or oceans. Traditionally, ships were distinguished from boats by size-any buoyant vessel small enough to fit on board a ship was considered a boat. However, common usage has blurred the distinction between boats and ships, and today the difference between them is arbitrary (Ship vessel, Today sails, Ship transport, Traditionally Ships, Warships, Saint Croix).
Boats and Boatbuilding, types and construction of any small, waterborne vessel that displaces and excludes the water surrounding it. Traditionally, boats were distinguished from ships by size—any vessel small enough to be carried aboard a ship was considered a boat. Today, the boundary between boats and ships is no longer defined with precision. Some larger vessels are called boats, although they are longer than some ships. This article focuses primarily on the design and construction of craft less than 20 m (65 ft) long. For a discussion of the history of all waterborne vessels, see Ship.
Boats in a Marina
Both sailing and motor vessels dock at a Friday Harbor marina on San Juan Island, Washington. In the upper right is a large car ferry entering the harbor.
Boats are classified primarily by method of propulsion—for example, sailboat, motorboat, and rowboat. They are also classified according to function, method of construction and type of materials used, rigging (in sailboats), and other factors.
Types of Boats
Boats are used in a number of ways. They can be purely recreational, or they can have more practical uses, such as serving as a home or as a method of transportation. Even boats with similar uses may differ in other respects. For example, methods of propulsion range from oars, to mechanical engines, to wind-catching sails.

From prehistoric craft made from animal skins stretched over wooden frames to nuclear-powered aircraft carriers that transport 5,000 people and 85 airplanes, ships have always reflected the values and technologies of the societies that built them. Ancient traders of the Mediterranean built swift-sailing ships with large cargo holds. Their warring successors added oars to increase maneuverability in battle. The Spanish and Portuguese built small, seaworthy craft to carry their best sailors to new lands, then huge merchant vessels to haul the newly claimed riches, and finally fleets of warships to protect their growing wealth. At the end of the 16th century, shipbuilders changed their focus to passenger service as they sought to accommodate the increasing number of people immigrating to Australia and the Americas. They shifted from sail power to steam power and built ships that crossed the ocean in about one-fourth the time of their predecessors. When the jet airplane drastically reduced ship travel in the 20th century, shipbuilders again focused on the transport of cargo, turning out large tankers, the most massive ships ever afloat.
Despite their seemingly endless variety, all ships share a few basic elements (Ship vessel, Today sails, Ship transport, Traditionally Ships, Warships, Saint Croix).

All ships have a main body, or hull, capable of displacing an amount of water equal to or greater than its own weight and the weight of its cargo. At the front end of the hull is the bow (or prow), and at the rear end is the stern. A ship’s size is expressed in terms of the dimensions of its hull-that is, its length, breadth, and volume in tons (calculated by dividing the cubic footage of the hull by 100). All ships also have a steering system and a propulsion system-that is, a device or system of devices that moves them through the water. Like ships themselves, hulls, propulsion systems, and steering systems grew more complex through time (Ship vessel, Today sails, Ship transport, Traditionally Ships, Warships, Saint Croix).

So you've inherited that somewhat dubious old wooden fishing boat from your grandpa! You're feeling proud to be the one to carry on the family fishing tradition, but you're also experiencing just a little trepidation at the though of setting out on the wide open expanses of the lake this spring on a boat that has clearly seen better days...
Well, if your newly acquired old wooden fishing boat is looking a little worse for wear, you might do well to remember that wooden boat owners generally accept the fact these kind of boats were not built to last forever.
In fact, some were probably built with the intention that they would be replaced within five or ten years, and not kept going lovingly for decades by well-intentioned descendents of the original owner.
Constant maintenance is probably the key concept here, and you will need to do some serious checking out of the boat's structure before setting out to haul in those prize catches.
Of course, nowadays - with newer wood-based, penetrating epoxy - dry rot has become much less of a problem, but you will still have to keep up the work to keep your boat in shape for the fishing waters.
Apart from the gleaming, grand old dames of yesteryear, contemporary wooden fishing boats are still being built, and you may be surprised at the workmanship and variety available.
You may want to have a look at the beautifully crafted boats such as wide-bottomed drift boats, or the graceful curves of a special viking-type rowing-and-fishing boat.
Some wooden fishing boat builders specialize in traditional Louisiana marsh pirogues and rowing skiffs, and for these you will even be able to find building plans should you be tempted to make a project out of it!
If you just want to have the experience of fishing from a wooden boat on your next fishing trip, you can head out to Ontario, where some fishing resorts have a special wooden fishing boat supplier building them to order.
These beautiful spacious, quiet boats are hand built out of cedar and oak, and equipped with swivel seats, a fishfinder, and all the necessary emergency equipment to make your trip an unforgettable experience.
Back to that old lady grandpa used for his outings on the lake: It may be well worth remembering the saying: "Nothing works on an old boat but the owner"...

30.05.2008.

Wooden Ship Models

Wooden ship models are built-to-scale representations of modern or ancient sea-faring vessels.

Traditionally, all types of ship models have been built of wood, though with the advent of plastic and sheet metal, these have been used for amateur kits. Of course, wooden models project grandeur and finesse. The ancient Egyptians were the pioneers who made detailed ship models. The models were crafted as part of funeral rituals, which forced the builders to strive for precision, otherwise the unmitigated soul would pester them. The ship models kept inside the coffin were supposed to transport the soul of the deceased to the next world.

Modern-day sea-faring received much instruction from these carefully preserved, 5,000- year-old models. Specimens of these boats found a place in the British Museum, the Louvre, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and many other museums worldwide.

Modern-day ship models came into existence before or during the construction of many eighteenth- and nineteenth-century warships. These were known as Admiralty or Shipyard models. Many of these models did not show the timbering they would have in the actual vessel, but the models illustrated the form of the hull and details of the deck furnishings, masts, spars, and general frame. The models provided the non-sea-faring financiers with a bird’s-eye view of the vessel that was to come into being. There are several types of construction of a wooden ship model. Some are carved from a single block of wood, others by gluing together blocks of wood, or by gluing together of slabs of wood into a laminated block. Others are built on what is called plank-on frame, built just as the full-size ship is constructed.

Wooden models of all types of vessels—luxury cruise liners, war ships, sailing ships—are available from dealers. A wooden model of a Chalutier ship costs $149.95; a USS Ronald Regan model costs $999; a wooden model Schooner costs $26.96; a Harvey wooden model costs $110; a Cutty Sark Wooden model costs $189; and an Atlantic costs $195.95. There are various price ranges for the connoisseur.

So you've inherited that somewhat dubious old wooden fishing boat from your grandpa! You're feeling proud to be the one to carry on the family fishing tradition, but you're also experiencing just a little trepidation at the though of setting out on the wide open expanses of the lake this spring on a boat that has clearly seen better days...

Well, if your newly acquired old wooden fishing boat is looking a little worse for wear, you might do well to remember that wooden boat owners generally accept the fact these kind of boats were not built to last forever.

In fact, some were probably built with the intention that they would be replaced within five or ten years, and not kept going lovingly for decades by well-intentioned descendents of the original owner.

Constant maintenance is probably the key concept here, and you will need to do some serious checking out of the boat's structure before setting out to haul in those prize catches.

Of course, nowadays - with newer wood-based, penetrating epoxy - dry rot has become much less of a problem, but you will still have to keep up the work to keep your boat in shape for the fishing waters.

Apart from the gleaming, grand old dames of yesteryear, contemporary wooden fishing boats are still being built, and you may be surprised at the workmanship and variety available.

You may want to have a look at the beautifully crafted boats such as wide-bottomed drift boats, or the graceful curves of a special viking-type rowing-and-fishing boat.

Some wooden fishing boat builders specialize in traditional Louisiana marsh pirogues and rowing skiffs, and for these you will even be able to find building plans should you be tempted to make a project out of it!

If you just want to have the experience of fishing from a wooden boat on your next fishing trip, you can head out to Ontario, where some fishing resorts have a special wooden fishing boat supplier building them to order.

These beautiful spacious, quiet boats are hand built out of cedar and oak, and equipped with swivel seats, a fishfinder, and all the necessary emergency equipment to make your trip an unforgettable experience.

Back to that old lady grandpa used for his outings on the lake: It may be well worth remembering the saying: "Nothing works on an old boat but the owner"...